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Culture Project - Nunavik - New
Culture Project - Nunavik - New
Culture Project - Nunavik - New
Inuit music is based on drums used in dance music and a vocal style katajjaq
(Nunavut word) or throat singing. Eskimo music is Inuit - Yupik music; again most
likely a Nunavut Inuktitut word.
Throat Singing:
Throat Singers in general take sounds from nature or their surroundings and
reproduce the sound with their throat. Russia and Mangolian throat singers appear to
be men, while Inuit throat singers are typically women. Women raising their families
would reproduce these throat songs as a way of entertaining themselves. They
would end up in a fit of the giggles as one would break their focus after staring face
to face at the other with great intention.
Nunavik Women Throat Singers - Akinisie Sivuarapik, on the left in the video is
from Puvirnituq!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Pyo_DLEnoU
On this video the women sing a lullaby and other songs with the throat.
Young Inuit girls, 12-14 years old, interviewed about throat singing in Ottawa
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pN4RXj4YSa0
Katajjacoustic: an older teen, young twenties music, throat singing and electronic
music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPI2dXcn8Vw
https://www.cbc.ca/arts/exhibitionists/this-hand-drumming-circle-is-a-beating-heart-in
-toronto-s-kensington-market-1.4106356
Very interesting project. Lots of good information historical information here.
Puvirnituq Snow Festival
On this occasion, different, exciting activities are put on, from snow sculpture contests to traditional games and
competitions. In 2007, a five-metre-high polar bear made of snow marked the festivities.
In 2005, participants worked on a massive structure together: a giant igloo, 40 metres around and five metres
high. More than 400 people entered it simultaneously. Every evening, music, dance and artistic performances are
found at the community centre
Local Inuit Musicians as well as those from the neighbouring communities and
Nunavut come to share their musical talents during the festival. Names as Beatrice
Deer, Elisapi Isaac, Saali Keelan, Northern Haze, The Jerry Cans, Iqualuit Choir,
Puvirnituq artist and many, many others join the fun!
This is a link to some pictures of the Snowfestival of 2013 where the theme was
revitalizing the soap stone sculpture.
https://pbase.com/jodephoto/festival4&page=8
Website Research:
I browsed through the websites looking for material I could use in my teaching. I
didn’t get through them all but listed the songs and the ideas that interested me.
‘aboriginal people around the world are losing their identity and culture, as a result of many
influences; television, video games, music, changing attitudes, socio-economic issues and
more importantly the loss of their language.’
Interesting website for games of the Dene peoples. Games were of the physical education
type, although the use of the drums in the Hand Games to keep the beat was a nice thought.
2. Sabrina: http://culturalengagementprojectsjc.weebly.com/
Sabrina’s website on indigenous music includes helpful hints on making contact with the
indigenous people and their music.
I was happy to read this from Sabrina’s project aims page: ‘I learned that there is a major
lack of trust among Indigenous people due to the westernization and
commercialization today of Indigenous language, culture and traditions’ This lack of
trust has been apparent to me as well. I also agree with her when she says:
Kodaly II
https://www.youtube.com/user/drcbenedictFIU/videos?view_as=subscriber
Interesting to see ourselves perform.
Smithsonian
https://folkways.si.edu/game-songs-of-french-canada/childrens/music/album/smithso
nian
French candian game songs! Usable things here.